Adams, under federal indictment, avoids criticizing Trump after rally goes awry

NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams, a registered Democrat, played nice with former President Donald Trump — conspicuously dodging questions about the Republican front-runner and his policies during a press conference Tuesday.

“I speak to my mayors across the country, and they talk about these real problems we're having. And with all that's going on to every day New Yorkers, we're asking questions that, ‘Is someone a fascist?’ or ‘Is someone a Hitler?’ That's insulting to me. That is insulting,” Adams said, when asked about Democrats saying he should disavow Trump’s support.

“I'm not going to engage in that. Everyone needs to turn down the rhetoric. Because after Election Day, we still have to be the United States, and not the divided states,” he added as he batted away more than a dozen questions on Trump, following racist and misogynistic remarks speakers made at his rally Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

The remarks followed Adams breaking with Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, as well as some of Trump’s former top appointees, to say that Trump should not be called a fascist. Trump praised Adams by name for defending him.

Asked the last time he spoke with Trump or his team, Adams made a show of not answering. “Give me another question, please?” he said, moving on to another journalist, adding that the reporter who asked “lost your opportunity” to get an answer.

Adams has endorsed Harris, but conspicuously declined to name her when asked who he will vote for.

“I made it clear on who I endorsed for president, and I’m not going to do an annual endorsement refresher,” he said. “I’ve made it clear. And if anything changes, I will tell you. Nothing has changed for that.”

The politically centrist mayor’s long-standing avoidance of criticizing Trump sets him apart from other Democrats — particularly those, like himself, who represent a deeply anti-Trump constituency. New York City voted 76-23 for Joe Biden in 2020. Adams also criticized Biden for his handling of the southern border crisis when the president was running for reelection, pointing out how the policy amounted to an unfunded mandate for New York City.

The mayor’s posture has received greater scrutiny as the election nears. Adams was also asked Tuesday about a New York Post report that his allies believe Trump as president could help drop the federal bribery case against the mayor.

“That is not our position. We think the facts are going to speak for themself,” Adams said. Asked again whether he felt a Trump presidency would be better for him personally, the mayor directed questions to his defense attorney.

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, a progressive citywide official who’s been critical of Adams, called the mayor’s comments on Trump “disgraceful.”

“You can't find one thing to separate yourself from Donald Trump?” he said Tuesday. “Makes no sense from a so-called Democratic mayor who called himself the Biden of Brooklyn.”